Contents

Biography

Hamilton is one of the Children of the Senior Partners, but unlike Eve, he wasn't created recently merely to act as the Senior Partners' liaison. Hamilton was created by the Senior Partners a long time ago, as he had already clashed with Drogyn the Battlebrand before Drogyn became the Guardian of the Deeper Well. Their history is unknown but each clearly considers the other to be a worthy adversary.

Because Eve urgently seeks Angel's protection, Angel and crew at first believe that Hamilton has been sent by the Senior Partners to kill her. However, Hamilton's assignment is merely to replace Eve as Angel's liaison to the Senior Partners. Eve clearly views this as a death sentence of sorts, since she enjoys the benefit of eternal youth, which is revoked upon her termination from the Senior Partners' employ.

Having succeeded Eve, Hamilton makes it clear from the start he is not like her and will not be pushed about as the Senior Partners presumably felt Eve had been. He begins advising Angel very closely when the latter joins the Circle of the Black Thorn, going so far as to kidnap Drogyn to use as a sacrifice during Angel's initiation into the Circle. However, Hamilton remains wary of the ensouled vampire, suspecting he might yet betray Wolfram & Hart. With amazing strength surging in his blood, he is able to withstand a vampire attack (albeit from Harmony), as well as to defeat the weakened Illyria.

Upon realizing that Angel has been using Harmony to pass bad intel and that his loyalties must, therefore, still be tied to the powers of goodness, Hamilton immediately attempts to kill him before he can kill Archduke Sebassis, whom Angel had claimed was his selected target. Having thrown Angel aside after an attempted punch, Hamilton states that he regards Angel as merely guttertrash who got lucky and became a vampire with a soul, who nevertheless still fails everyone around him (i.e. Doyle, Cordelia, and Fred), asking him if he seriously thought he could kill Sebassis. Angel, however, reveals that he already killed the Archduke by spiking his drink - the blood of a slave demon - concluding that Hamilton was the one he needed to confront, although he admits that he thought the fight would be going better.

"You don't really think you're gonna win this, do you? You don't stand a chance. We are legion. We are forever."

During the ensuing struggle, Hamilton wonders why Angel continues to fight after signing away his rights to the Shanshu Prophecy, but Angel simply replies that the people who don't care will never understand the people who do. Their battle nearly comes to an abrupt end when Hamilton almost stakes Angel, but Angel fends him off with timely help from his son, Connor. Although neither Angel nor Connor can inflict much damage at first, Hamilton himself inadvertently reveals the source of his power. Hearing that the strength of the Senior Partners fills Hamilton's blood, Angel promptly assumes his vampire form and drinks from him. Absorbing the strength and power in such supercharged blood gives Angel the edge he needs to defeat his opponent. Near the end, Hamilton asks if Angel really thinks he can defeat the firm and the Senior Partners. Unimpressed, Angel punches him in the face so hard that it snaps Hamilton's neck.

Post-mortem

Hamilton's death prompts the Senior Partners to rescind Angel's contract with the firm and unleash their punishment, which includes an earthquake that destroys the W&H Los Angeles branch, followed by a horde of demons sent to make an example of Angel and his crew, and eventually turning Angel human again and sending all of L.A. to hell.

Powers and abilities

"Let me say this as clearly as I can. You cannot beat me. I am a part of them. The Wolf, Ram, and Hart. Their strength flows through my veins. My blood is filled with their ancient power."

Marcus Hamilton was one of the most physically powerful beings encountered by Team Angel. During his confrontation with Illyria, he quickly got the upper hand and brutally beat her unconscious, albeit after her powers were reduced by the effects of the Mutari generator; had she been at full power, Illyria would have been more of a physical match for him. He was able to withstand a punch to the stomach from Angel while barely even flinching and toss him around with little effort (he did admit that it hurt "a little bit"), though a surprise punch from Connor later in the same battle did knock him through a glass wall. He was able to punch completely through the torso of an ordinary human security guard with a single blow and effortlessly resist Harmony's attempt to snap his neck. However, he seemed to rely on his brute strength rather than any sort of fighting skills, presumably due to his unmatched level of power. Once Angel gained Hamilton's level of strength by biting him, Hamilton was no match for Angel's fighting abilities.

He also possessed some sort of extended lifespan or eternal youth, as he had a history with Drogyn which dated back to the time before the latter was appointed as the Keeper of the Deeper Well.

Finally, Hamilton came to possess Eve's powers (immortality and a psychic link to the Senior Partners) after she signed her duties as Liaison to the Senior Partners to him. This link allowed Marcus to receive messages from them.

The source of Hamilton's power is his blood. The strength of the Senior Partners runs through it, but it's also his weakness, as any vampire who drinks from him gets strength to rival his, for at least a while, which happened when Angel drank from him after he boasted about his power.

Behind the Scenes

Hamilton bears resemblance to Caleb, the evil priest/serial killer in Buffy's final season. Like Caleb, he appeared in five episodes of his series' final season and had a habit of glorifying himself by ranting about the powers he possessed. Both also appeared in the series finales of their respective programs. Unlike Caleb, however, whose appearances were consecutive from "Dirty Girls" up until the series finale, "Chosen", Hamilton didn't appear in "The Girl in Question".